Graham Zusi provided the services in the 28th and 76th minute as Sporting Kansas City recorded another 2-0 victory over the Rapids, giving KC a 4-0 aggregate win in the Eastern Conference Semifinal. Aurellian Collin and C.J. Sapong doubled the margin for Sporting, which beat the Rapids 2-0 on Sunday on the strength of two Teal Bunbury strikes.

A piecemeal lineup and a punchless attack characterized the disappointing finish to the season for the Rapids. Colorado came in desperate to gain a two-goal win to force overtime and backed by words of praise. But the end result was much like the rest of the season as the Rapids couldn’t find a breakthrough.

While the winners get to move on to face the winner of the Philadelphia Union-Houston Dynamo series on Sunday at Livestrong Sporting Park, the losing Rapids get to ponder what might have been.

The Few: With Drew Moor, Kousuke Kimura and Caleb Folan out with injuries suffered in the first leg against KC, Tyrone Marshall out serving a mandatory suspension for a red card in the first leg, Conor Casey, Jamie Smith and Anthony Wallace out for the season with injuries, and Pablo Mastroeni out since suffering a concussion on Oct. 14, the Rapids were not close to the side that won the 2010 title.

On Wednesday night, the team lacked rhythm and punch. Ultimately, the side paid the price.

Final 11: Here’s the lineup the Rapids fielded in the last match of the year: Matt Pickens, Wells Thompson, Marvell Wynne, Scott Palguta, Miguel Comminges, Brian Mullan, Joseph Nane (Macoumba Kandji 56), Jeff Larentowicz, Ross LaBauex (Eddie Ababio 80), Omar Cummings (Quincy Amarikwa 46), Sanna Nyassi.

On the bench were substitutes Andre Akpan, Danny Earls, Mike Holody and Steward Ceus.

Now, compare that with the squad that started the season against the Portland Timbers on March 19: Pickens, Kimura, Wallace, Wynne, Moor, Mullan (Thompson 88), Smith, Mastroeni (Nyassi 77), Larentowicz, Casey (Amarikwa 61), Cummings.

Found Wanting: The lineups tell the tale of how the depth of this squad was tested. Players had to play out of position and hunt for ways to score. The task proved more than the squad could manage.

What’s Next: The MLS expansion draft will unfold in three weeks. A conference call will determine who the Rapids lose, if anyone, to the new side in Montreal on Nov. 23.

Unless grabbed in the draft, expect Pickens, Wynne, Larentowicz, Cummings and Nyassi to be in the starting 11 for the foreseeable future. Thompson and Amarikwa’s energy make them likely returnees, too. Akpan and Palguta are also likely to stay thanks to their work rates. Kandji gets a return to the Rapids after spending most of the year rehabilitating his leg.

After that, it will be time to take a long look at the injured, the ineffective and the aging before starting the 2012 season. Among the injured, look for most of them to return. Moor and Kimura are defensive stalwarts. Wallace is a young player with promise. Casey, although aging, is the still the squad’s offensive spark. They’ll all be back.

Smith, who underwent successful ACL this week, adds spark, but has never settled in as a regular and can’t assume a roster spot will be waiting. Folan, who provided six goals, was a disappointment and is unlikely to return.

Mastroeni, the team captain, is a lock to return and play until he can’t anymore. Joining him on the high side of 30 are Marshall, who looks like he might have another year at center back, and Mullan, who can see the end from here, but can’t tell quite how far away it is.

As for the rest, now would not be the time to buy a house in the Denver area.

It will be chilly in Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for the 8 p.m. battle with the Columbus Crew. But there will be plenty of heat on the field for the Rapids. Win, and they face the LA Galaxy in the next round of the playoffs. Lose, and the team can head to the training room and join rehabilitating forward Conor Casey.

Looking Back: For this playoff edition of The Thursday List, we take a look back at past playoff performances for the Rapids. The list starts with the team’s first playoff appearance and opponent and grows from there.

1997: at Kansas City, Win, 3-0
Kansas City, Win, 3-2
at Dallas, Win, 1-0
Dallas, Win, 2-1
at D.C. United, Loss, 2-1

1998: at Chicago, Loss, 1-1 (shootout)
Chicago, Loss, 1-0

1999: at Los Angeles, Loss, 3-0
Los Angeles, Loss, 2-0

2000: at Kansas City, Loss, 1-0
Kansas City, Tie, 0-0
at Kansas City, Loss, 3-2

2002: at Dallas, Loss, 4-2
Dallas, Win, 1-0
at Dallas, Tie, 2-1 (second overtime)
at Los Angeles, Loss, 4-0
Los Angeles, Loss, 1-0

2003: Kansas City, Tie, 1-1
at Kansas City, Loss, 2-0

2004: Los Angeles, Win, 1-0
at Los Angeles, Loss, 2-0

2005: FC Dallas, Tie, 0-0
at FC Dallas, Win, 2-2 (overtime)
Los Angeles, Loss, 2-0

2006: FC Dallas, Loss, 2-1
at FC Dallas, Win, 3-2 (overtime)
at Houston, Loss, 3-1

2010: Columbus, Win, 1-0
at Columbus, Loss, 2-1 (advanced on PK’s)
San Jose, Win, 1-0
FC Dallas, Win, 2-1 (overtime)

Opening Match: In 10 previous playoff appearances the Colorado Rapids are 3-5-2 in opening matches.

The bad news for the Rapids is that this year’s wild card match is a one-and-done affair for the losers.

The good news for the Rapids is the team’s record in home playoff matches in the opening round. Counting the two-leg affairs of the past, the team is a respectable 4-3-3 through the years.

Home Openers: The Rapids have played at home to open the playoffs five times. In those games — which includes the 2010 opener against the Crew — the team is 2-1-2.

Missing: The two players who scored against Columbus in the past season will be absent tonight. Casey is out for the season with a leg injury and Pablo Mastroeni is recovering from a concussion suffered against Real Salt Lake on Oct. 14.

Present: Kosuke Kimura, who was the last person to score for the Rapids at home in a playoff match, will be on the field tonight. The right back scored a wonder goal against San Jose in 2010 that eluded a charging Omar Cummings and goalkeeper Jon Busch.

Kimura, in fact, seems to always be on the field. Team golden boot winner Jeff Larentowicz, goalkeeper Matt Pickens and Kimura were the only Rapids to appear in all 34 games this season.

You Again: Brian Mullan, a late-season pickup from Houston in 2010, makes his 11th consecutive appearance in the MLS playoffs. Mullan, a Colorado soccer product, has appeared in the playoffs every season of his career.

It was as match a wrestling match as a battle of soccer teams on Saturday. Here, Brian Mullan tangles with two Dallas defenders. Colorado won 1-0. (Photograph by Joel Baud/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

The Saturday night showdown between FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids was not so much a rematch of the 2010 MLS Cup as it was a desperate 90 minutes for two teams stumbling toward the playoffs.

Colorado came in winless in its last five MLS matches (0-3-2) and Dallas arrived on a string of getting shutout in three straight matches. For the teams clinging to the top two wild card spots, neither side was in a position to allow for too many errors.

Mercifully for the Rapids, the team with the biggest chinks in its armor proved to be the visitors from Texas.

Drew Moor, whom FC Dallas traded to Colorado in 2009, rose to get a head on a Sanna Nyassi corner kick in the 25th minute and deliver the game’s only goal. Matt Pickens was solid in the net and the Rapids weathered a late challenge while a man down to win 1-0 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the team’s first home win since Aug. 5.

With the victory, the Rapids improved to 11-9-12, 45 points, with two matches remaining. Dallas — shutout for the fourth game in a row — dropped to 13-11-7, 46 points, with three matches remaining.

The result likely meant that both sides will make the postseason, but with several teams still having four games to play after the weekend, it’s too soon to start making playoff decisions in Dallas or Denver.

The LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake have all booked playoff spots. The top three spots in the Eastern Conference are still to be sorted with six teams bunched only seven points apart. The top three from the East will go through with the remainder battling FC Dallas and the Rapids for the four wild card spots.

Next Up: The Rapids get a rest. Colorado’s two regular season MLS matches include a home date with Salt Lake on Oct. 14, and a visit to the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps on Oct. 22.

In the final group stage match of the CONCACAF Champions League, Colorado travels to Santos Laguna on Oct. 19 to face a side that is already in the CCL quarterfinals. The Rapids need a win to advance in the champions league or a tie and some lucky circumstances to move forward.

Still Searching: Murphy Brown had greater success finding an assistant than coach Gary Smith has in finding a leftback. Moor, Anthony Wallace, Danny Earls, Scott Palguta and even Wells Thompson have spent some time in the spot. The latest choice, Miguel Comminges, was sent off for a second yellow card on Saturday. This means he will be sitting out on Oct. 14, and another back will have a chance in the unsettled corner.

The record book will show that Chris Wondolowski scored an unassisted goal for San Jose in the 18th minute, and Drew Moor delivered an unassisted equalizer in the 71st. What the stats line will fail to show is the frenzy and oddity on display at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The result pushed the defending MLS Cup Champions to 10-9-12, 42 points, and closer to clinching a playoff spot. It left the Earthquakes at 6-11-13, 31 points, and on the outside of the MLS playoffs.

Perhaps the result is all that mattered, because what went on for 90 minutes was so off-kilter. Forwards pouted. Yellow cards flew. Offsides mounted. Veterans returned. Combined, it added up to a tense evening where it was tough to tell much about either side.

Colorado came out with the accelerator jammed to the floor. Omar Cummings nearly delivered a strike before 25 seconds had run off the clock. Finally, when the Rapids looked their most dangerous, it was a rare gaffe from ‘keeper Matt Pickens that gifted the Earthquakes a goal. Pickens chested down a ball to a running Wondolowski, who obliged by scoring his 11th of the season.

All the control and a one-goal deficit put the Rapids on their heels for the rest of the half. The switch in sides brought new vigor to Colorado, but the team still seemed to miss at critical moments. In the first 60 minutes, the Rapids had more offsides (seven) than shots on goal (three by my count).

Still, tenacity was rewarded. Moor cleaned up the mess following a Sanna Nyassi corner kick to put the Rapids level. And it looked in the 85th and 89th minutes like Colorado might get a winner from the same set piece, but it was not to be, on a night where nothing seemed quite right.

Caleb Concerns: Forward Caleb Folan has been seeing few quality chances in recent weeks, and the frustration he has been wearing in his shoulders produced a caution in the second half. It also produced regular diatribes from Folan to his fellow attackers.

While it’s easy to side with Folan for not getting the service he wants, the Republic of Ireland striker also needs to put direct play back in the game. He was continually looking to flick by head, toe and heel during the night. Trying to out-”cute” defenders doesn’t consistently work.

His one true shot came on a header in the first minute of stoppage time that Jon Busch miraculously saved. The pain on Folan’s face said it all. Sometimes you have to take the ball yourself, turn and go for the goal of the foul. Conor Casey has demonstrated this many times. With a chance to shine in Casey’s absence, Folan hasn’t quite gotten the same result.

Comminges Communication: The quest for a left back does not appear to have ended with the acquisition of Miguel Comminges. Putting the Guadeloupe native on the left allowed Moor to have a stellar game at center back, but Comminges play did little to assuage fears.

Saturday, he looked like he was fighting to adjust to teammates and altitude. He timed his headers poorly, sent errant balls long, and left late in the match for Wells Thompson. Much of the rest of the time, Comminges looked like he was needing a translator to work with the rest of the squad.

Kandji Delivers: Macoumba Kandji came on for Cummings late in the second half. While he also suffered from some timing troubles, the tall striker had ‘Quakes defenders on their back foot. He forced Busch into a late save, set up Nyassi for what should have been a much better shot, and startled Pablo Mastroeni with a pass into the box that the captain could have turned into the winning goal. It was a revelatory match for the man who missed much of the year recovering from a torn ACL.

Dubious Title: With the tie, the 2011 Rapids broke the record for most ties in a season. The 2004 squad tied 11 times. Colorado has three games remaining. A couple more ties would ensure a playoff spot.

Veterans Back: Jamie Smith played 58 minutes in his first significant action since July. Kandji was also getting his first major minutes since November.

All Yellow: Folan, Moor, Simon Dawkins, Brad Ring and Steven Beitashour all picked up cautions during the night.

Next Up: A host of reserves will travel to El Salvador to play Isidro Metapan on Wednesday. They will return to join most of the regulars for an Oct. 1 home match with FC Dallas. The Texas side, who lost to Colorado in the MLS Cup Final, defeated the Rapids at Pizza Hut Park 3-0 in their first meeting this season.

This time, the goal came in the 36th minute as Donovan was unmarked when receiving a pass from Sean Franklin. Unlike his miss against Costa Rico on the same field in a USA friendly a week early, Donovan was clinical. He smashed the ball home, leaving ‘keeper Matt Pickens no chance for a save.

Colorado, which managed only two shots in the first half, nearly got back into the game in the 56th minute. Midfielder Wells Thompson knocked in a rebound passed a sprawling Donovan Ricketts. However, Thompson’s goal was waived off after the assistant referee flagged Thompson for offsides.

Thompson’s no-goal was as close as it would come for the Rapids. The team managed little offense, but got a sterling match from Pickens that allowed Colorado to hold out hope. In the end, the squad was left holding little else.

Iron Man Missing: For the first time since Aug. 6, 2009, Drew Moor wasn’t on the field for the Rapids. Moor’s streak of 6,210 consecutive minutes — a league record for a field player — came to an end over yellow card accumulation.

Instead of Moor, Tyrone Marshall was paired with Marvell Wynne in central defense. Both men spent much of the game under siege.

Quick Turnaround: There is little time for sulking. Colorado returns to action on Tuesday at home against Santos Laguna in CONCACAF Champions League play. The Rapids are 1-0-1 in the group stage with a home win against Metapan and a road draw at Real Espana.

On Tuesday, the Rapids face the very real possibility of feeling like it’s another road game. The green and white kits of the Mexican power are likely to overwhelm the Rapids burgundy.

Playoff Position: With the win, LA, 15-3-10, 55 points, became the first MLS squad to clinch a playoff spot. The Rapids, 10-8-11, 41 points, held on to the fifth playoff position. With five games remaining, the Rapids are watching the chance for one of the three first-round byes from the Western Conference rapidly fade.

Next Up: After the CCL match on Tuesday, the Rapids travel to Toronto for a Sept. 17 match at BMO Field. The Rapids don’t host a home MLS match again until San Jose comes to town on Sept. 24. Colorado also gets a home date with Real Espana in CCL play on Sept. 21.

Isidro Metapan's Alfredo Pacheco (left), watches as Colorado Rapids Andre Akpan (top), uses the back of Pacheco's teammate Alex Escobar during the CCL opener, Aug. 17. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

The Colorado Rapids players have to stop thinking about the three points at home that got away in the 86th minute on Saturday and turn their attention to a Honduran champion.

Coach Gary Smith blamed the fatigue from Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions League among the culprits that led to Chivas USA’s tying goal in a 2-2 game at home on Saturday.

With seven regular starters playing significant minutes against Isidro Metapan in the team’s 3-2 CCL opener, Colorado took a different squad to San Pedro Sula, Honduras to meet Real Espana on Tuesday.

For the 8 p.m. match with Real Espana (on Fox Soccer), goalkeeper Matt Pickens and defender Marvell Wynne were the only players who appeared in Wednesday’s match against Metapan who did not travel to Honduras on Monday.

The 18-man game day roster will come from the following 19 travellers.

GOALKEEPERS: Steward Ceus, Chris Sharpe

DEFENDERS: Tyrone Marshall, Drew Moor, Kosuke Kimura, Danny Earls, Mike Holody, Scott Palguta.

MIDFIELDERS: Jeff Larentowicz, Brian Mullan, Sanna Nyassi, Joseph Nane, Ross LaBauex, Wells Thompson.

FORWARDS: Omar Cummings, Macoumba Kandji, Caleb Folan, Quincy Amarikwa, Andre Akpan.

Sharpe is an MLS pool goalkeeper who trains regularly with the Rapids. CONCACAF and MLS agreed that Sharpe could be added to the Rapids 30-man Champions League roster for the group stage of the tournament.

Smith opted for an attack-minded CCL roster, taking all five healthy forwards plus Nyassi, who has blossomed in a forward position alongside Cummings.

Teammates swarm Jeff Larentowicz after his 69th minute header put the Rapids up 2-1 on Chivas USA. The Goats rallied to tie 2-2 on Saturday night. (Photograph by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Twice Colorado led on Saturday night, and twice Chivas USA came back, eventually claiming a share of the points at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Goals from Caleb Folan and Jeff Larentowicz, both clinical strikes, were countered by the visiting Goats, who exploited the few openings they found on the night.

Ultimately, the 2-2 draw proved that remaining undefeated over the past six games (4-0-2) is not the same as winning for the Rapids, and earning another draw on the road (the second straight) was a solid result for Chivas USA.

It could have been much better for the Rapids (10-6-11, 41 points). Colorado started in a 4-5-1 formation with Folan as the lone striker, and the early results were encouraging. The Rapids controlled play for the first 25 minutes, and Folan snapped a precise goal off a Pablo Mastroeni cross in the 13th minute. The Ireland striker has now quietly tied Conor Casey for the team scoring lead in 2011 with six goals.

With Chivas doing an effective job disrupting the midfield, the Goats latest acquisition paid an immediate dividend in the 36th minute. Former Rapids Nick LaBrocca sent a pass to a rushing Juan Pablo Angel, who beat the offsides trap and tapped the ball past ‘keeper Matt Pickens.

In the second half, the Rapids came out the most dangerous side, but struggled to finish. Finally, Sanna Nyassi delivered a corner in the 69th minute that Larentowicz headed home. The two had nearly connected earlier, and Larentowicz made no mistake as he put the ball in the side netting.

The second goal wasn’t enough, however, as Chivas took advantage of a squad that lost its tactical shape. Laurent Courtois was the beneficiary as he ran on to a Michael Lahoud pass and put it between Pickens’ legs in the 86th minute.

Colorado got two chances in second half injury time to grab three points. ‘Keeper Dan Kennedy misplayed a Nyassi free kick in the 93rd minute that no one could latch on to. Then, on the resulting corner kick, Macoumba Kandji fired a rebound into the box. Defenders knocked it out as time was called on the tie.

Iron Man: Drew Moor is now the MLS iron man. The defender, playing at left back, played the full 90 minutes for the 68th consecutive game, setting a record for field players.

Next Up: The Rapids travel to Honduras for a Tuesday match against Real Espana in the team’s second CONCACAF Champions League group stage match. Colorado will remain on the road, facing the Chicago Fire in Bridgeview, Ill., on Aug. 27.

The next home match comes Sept. 13 against Santos Laguna in CCL play. The next MLS home game is more than a month away when the San Jose Earthquakes visit DSG Park on Sept. 24.

Caleb Folan delivers the header that gave Colorado an early lead in a 2-2 tie with Chivas USA. (Photograph by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Quincy Amarikwa rises above a Isidro Metapan defender during second half action of the CCL opener on Wednesday night. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Isidro Metapan and the Colorado Rapids combined for five goals on Wednesday night, but it was a brace from Macoumba Kandji that made the difference in the home side’s first CONCACAF Champions League match.

Kandji’s goals, in the 16th minute and first-half stoppage time, rescued a discombobulated Rapids side and paved the way for Andre Akpan’s second half winner at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Their three goals led the way to a 3-2 Colorado win over the visitors from El Salvador.

Kandji’s strikes, the first off the head and the other from the floor, came after the Salvadoran side diced the mixture of veterans and benchwarmers on the field for the Rapids.

Colorado fans deemed the CCL game a nonstarter — staying away in droves — and the Rapids seemed to endorse that decision with a series of first-half gaffes.

The first came in the opening seconds of the match as Metapan managed to draw a penalty kick on a play that was last successfully used in a seventh-grade rec league game. Metapan sent a runner, Cristian Bautista, from the right wing into the penalty area where a diagonal ball arrived at the same time that defender Drew Moor put his arm on Bautista. Down went the forward, and up came the yellow card for Moor.

Matt Pickens guessed wrong on the PK, and Metapan held a 1-0 lead through an Allen Kardeck goal with more than 88 minutes showing on the game clock.

The strike seemed to awaken Colorado, which controlled play and found a reward when Kandji drove a Scott Palguta cross down and into the goal 14 minutes later.

The Rapids, however, were not done making mistakes. Pickens made an exceptionally ill-advised pass that was returned as a chip into the far netting in the 25th minute by Paolo Suarez. Pickens, who had gone down in a collision, tossed the ball toward Kosuke Kimura, but Suarez raced to it first, and made the lanky ‘keeper pay.

Again, Colorado started dominating possession, a position helped along by the ejection of Kardeck shortly before half for a swing into Moor on a El Salvadoran counter attack. Up by a man, Colorado kept probing and Kandji was on the end of a play to nick the ball into the goal and bring the teams level on the scoreline at half.

Colorado Rapids Andre Akpan (top), celebrates with Macoumba Kandji, after Kandji scores the second goal of the night during the CCL opener, Aug. 17. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Colorado finally took advantage of the man advantage when Kandji faked out a defender, passed to Wells Thompson, who deflected a ball to Andre Akpan in the 51st minute. The Ivy Leaguer, who picked up an assist on Kandji’s second goal, delivered a clinical finish that provided the winning margin.

Next Up: The Colorado Rapids face Chivas USA, one of the teams chasing them for a playoff spot, in MLS action on Saturday. The next CCL match at home will be Sept. 13 at home against Mexican side Santos Laguna. Laguna beat Real Espana of Honduras 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Bracing Brace: Wednesday night was the first meaningful soccer action for Kandji since his cross led to the game-deciding own goal in Colorado’s 2-1 win over FC Dallas in the 2010 MLS Cup Championship in November. Kandji tore his right ACL on the cross and has yet to appear in an MLS match this season.

Prior to Wednesday night, Kandji had never scored more than one goal in a Rapids uniform.

Miraculous Montes: Metapan ‘keeper Miguel Montes had several excellent saves on the night. He denied a Joseph Nane strike from the edge of the penalty area in the first half. His best came in the 73rd minute when he stretched to deny Thompson on a through ball from Akpan.

Colorado improved to 9-6-10 (37 points) and dispatched the third Eastern Conference leading team in the past four games. And while the win over the Crew lacked the emphatic nature of the beating New York recieved, it wasn’t nearly the nervous affair of a narrow win over the Philadelphia Union.

The Rapids dominated play throughout, but struggled to finish. Colorado fired 10 shots in the first half to the Crew’s four, and forced ‘keeper Will Hesmer to make three saves, but lacked venom in the final third.

In the 54th minute, Mullan found the answer the answer. He received a pass from Wells Thompson on the right wing, took one touch and unleashed his shot from 35 yards out. Hesmer dove, but could do nothing to stop the blast that went into the upper left corner. The wonder shot was Mullan’s first goal since joining the team in September 2010.

Slapped to life by Mullan’s strike, Columbus started to press the tempo in the game. ‘Keeper Matt Pickens and defender Tyrone Marshall, however, quelled the challenges and Colorado kept probing for a second goal.

The goal came in the 79th minute as Nyassi returned the favor to the provider of his four tallies this season. Nyassi won a 50-50 ball and spun away from his defender. Breaking down the middle of field, the Gambian saw Omar Cummings streaking forward to his right. Nyassi pushed the ball to his strike partner. Cummings delivered a clinical right-footed finish an instant before Hesmer arrived.

Columbus (9-7-7, 34 points), now laboring in the altitude and down by two, offered little more for the remainder of the match.

Next Up: The schedule starts to get busy for the Rapids. Colorado visits the San Jose Earthquakes on Aug. 13, returns home to face Isidro Metapan in CONCACAF Champions League play on Aug. 17, and then sees Chivas USA at DSG Park on Aug. 20.

Nice Timing: Cummings, who worked to get Nyassi in behind the Columbus defense all night, was a worthy goal scorer. His strike was his third of the season, but his first since April. Cummings, who led the team with 14 goals in 2010, currently leads the Rapids in assists with six on the season.

While that win put the Rapids (8-6-10, 34 points) on the road to the MLS Cup title in 2010, the stakes are not much lower this Friday when the two teams meet at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Pablo Mastroeni (2nd to left) and teammates Wells Thompson (left), Marvell Wynne (#22) and Anthony Wallace (right), congratulate Mastroeni after he scores the only goal of the first playoff game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Oct. 28, 2010. Colorado defeated Columbus 1-0. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

The 7:30 p.m. match features a Rapids team that seems to be finding its form after losing star forward Conor Casey for the season, and a Crew squad that has managed to claw its way to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Columbus (9-6-7, 34 points) is riding two straight wins after defeating Portland Timbers at home 1-0 and shutting out Real Salt Lake 2-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Watching Columbus: Robbie Rogers was the man of the match against Salt Lake, handing out both assists on goals scored in the first 10 minutes.

Beyond the attack, the Crew defense is allowing less than a goal a game. The Crew has gone 3-1-1 in the past five games.

Watching Colorado: Sanna Nyassi has been the difference maker for Colorado. Since moving from midfield to forward, the Gambian has scored four goals in three games. He also drew a penalty that led to a fifth tally in that span.

Nyassi and Omar Cummings, who has assists on all four Nyassi tallies, have formed a striking tandem that is fast and lethal. Most of the damage those two have done has come by running straight into the center of the defense.

Erratic: Speaking of defense, the Rapids did just enough in getting by the Philadelphia Union 2-1 on July 29, but the backline has been erratic. The team needed a critical save from Matt Pickens to avoid a draw, despite being a man up for the final 25 minutes.

Colorado also surrendered two goals in drawing 2-2 with a 10-man Revolution side six days earlier. The Rapids, however, are also 3-1-1 in the team’s past five games

Sore Point: Colorado has given up four goals twice this season. Once was the 4-3 loss at Seattle, and the other was a 4-1 drowning at Columbus in June.

Kandji Sighting: Macoumba Kandji played in an intrasquad scrimmage this week and coach Gary Smith said Kandji may be on the game day roster for Friday. Kandji has been out since injuring his leg on the play that produced the winning goal in November’s MLS final.

Plus: This Friday’s match is also a Heineken Lads Night Out, where fans can get two tickets, two beers, two hot dogs and two T-shirts for $44. Tickets are available by calling 303-825-GOAL.